Narrativas de mulheres na ciência: Desafios e conquistas de professoras-pesquisadoras na carreira universitária

Abstract

Academic and scientific careers, particularly in the fields of the exact and technological sciences, remain predominantly male-dominated, a fact influenced by various social constructs. This research aims to understand the obstacles and joys experienced by female academics and researchers throughout their professional trajectories. Using narrative methodology (Clandinin, Connelly, 2015), female academics and researchers, selected through convenience sampling (Fávero, Belfiore, 2017), shared their oral histories (Meihy, 2015) via virtual meetings. This sensitive approach enabled a deeper exploration of personal and professional experiences, highlighting how these women, like the researcher, face challenges imposed by the academic context. The study focuses on the invisible barriers and microviolences that shape these women's academic experiences, as well as the joys they encounter, exploring how they resist these structures and transform them into potential for advancement in fields of power, such as science and higher education. The analysis of the results was guided by the theoretical framework of authors such as Foucault (2013, 2019), bell hooks (2019, 2022), Byung-Chul Han (2017, 2024), Diniz and Gerbara (2022), Stengers (2023), among others, who helped to understand the dynamics of power, resistance, and normativity present in these women's trajectories. The results revealed, among other aspects, the difficulties faced by the participants, such as external interferences in their professional choices, daily microviolences in the academic environment, and challenges in balancing the demands of a scientific career with the social responsibilities attributed to women, such as family care, household maintenance, and the demands of pregnancy and motherhood. Additionally, the research highlighted the importance of support and solidarity networks, which are essential for resistance and overcoming adversity. This study aims, in addition to documenting the experiences of women in academia, to position itself as a practice of resistance and transformation. By listening to and interpreting the stories shared by the female academics and researchers, and intertwining these narratives with my own experiences, we seek to understand the challenges, identify the strengths present in this continuous process of resistance, and reflect on disruptions in the structures of the system to promote transformations in the academic space. Reflecting on the obstacles faced by these women, this research challenges the norms that still limit academic spaces, proposing a reconfiguration movement, making them more inclusive, equitable, and plural. The significance of this research lies in its ability to question power structures and highlight that, through resistance, solidarity, and the transformation of adversity into strength, we can pave the way for a future where the presence of women in science is guaranteed, celebrated for its diversity and strength, and influenced by the representation of women already occupying these spaces.